The Cadillac Of Stopgaps As confusing as most alphanumeric car names have gotten in recent years, at least one constant has been that the letter "X" is generally indicative of a crossover. Then why did General Motors use this letter on its new 2013 Cadillac XTS luxury sedan? Well, for that, we'll have to look to the world of mathematics where "X" stands for an unknown variable or a placeholder. Now we're talking. The XTS is just an interim product sitting at the top of Cadillac's four-door food chain until the brand gets a true flagship in place. That sounds like a lot of resources to spend on what will likely be a one-and-done model, but the automaker needed to get something – anything – to replace the DTS. So here you have the 2013 XTS. A big luxury sedan that was created to bridge the gap between Cadillac's recent past and its pending future. Going into our week with this XTS knowing that it was a stopgap measure proved to be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, we know (or hope) that this car will act as a baseline for future high-end Cadillac models, but at the same time, we couldn't help but be mindful of past stopgap models, albeit in more entry-level segments, like the Cimarron and Catera. Exterior lighting might be the car's most expressive design elements. The XTS proves that GM has finally gotten platform sharing to the point where it's no longer a trivial game of "spot the differences" between products from its various brands. Although the XTS shares many of its underpinnings with the Buick LaCrosse and the 2014 Chevrolet Impala, the three cars look nothing alike. Overall, the XTS – along with the ATS – shows a promising evolution of Cadillac's signature styling cues, and it looks remarkably good even on a car measuring almost 17 feet in length. From most angles, it's hard to criticize the design of the XTS, but the rear three-quarter view exposes some of the car's chunkiness, which is likely a result of the long rear overhang and the short decklid. The bulky rear end does help the XTS provide a cavernous 18 cubic feet of cargo space, which happens to be almost two cubic feet (an extra piece of luggage) more than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. As nice as the overall styling of the XTS is, the exterior lighting might be the car's most expressive design elements. Up front, the headlights have a softer, rounder shape than previous Cadillac "Art & Science" designs, and there are also stylish lower running lights that line up perfectly with the headlights as if each side has a single light tube tucked in behind the fascia. Likewise, the vertical taillights also add to the car's appearance and even have some slight fin action that pays homage to classic Cadillacs. Perhaps the coolest exterior features on the XTS, though, are the illuminated door handles. Most versions of the XTS get …Full Review

The Cadillac Of Stopgaps As confusing as most alphanumeric car names have gotten in recent years, at least one constant has been that the letter "X" is generally indicative of a crossover. Then why did General Motors use this letter on its new 2013 Cadillac XTS luxury sedan? Well, for that, we'll have to look to the world of mathematics where "X" stands for an unknown variable or a placeholder. Now we're talking. The XTS is just an interim product sitting at the top of Cadillac's four-door food chain until the brand gets a true flagship in place. That sounds like a lot of resources to spend on what will likely be a one-and-done model, but the automaker needed to get something – anything – to replace the DTS. So here you have the 2013 XTS. A big luxury sedan that was created to bridge the gap between Cadillac's recent past and its pending future. Going into our week with this XTS knowing that it was a stopgap measure proved to be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, we know (or hope) that this car will act as a baseline for future high-end Cadillac models, but at the same time, we couldn't help but be mindful of past stopgap models, albeit in more entry-level segments, like the Cimarron and Catera. Exterior lighting might be the car's most expressive design elements. The XTS proves that GM has finally gotten platform sharing to the point where it's no longer a trivial game of "spot the differences" between products from its various brands. Although the XTS shares many of its underpinnings with the Buick LaCrosse and the 2014 Chevrolet Impala, the three cars look nothing alike. Overall, the XTS – along with the ATS – shows a promising evolution of Cadillac's signature styling cues, and it looks remarkably good even on a car measuring almost 17 feet in length. From most angles, it's hard to criticize the design of the XTS, but the rear three-quarter view exposes some of the car's chunkiness, which is likely a result of the long rear overhang and the short decklid. The bulky rear end does help the XTS provide a cavernous 18 cubic feet of cargo space, which happens to be almost two cubic feet (an extra piece of luggage) more than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. As nice as the overall styling of the XTS is, the exterior lighting might be the car's most expressive design elements. Up front, the headlights have a softer, rounder shape than previous Cadillac "Art & Science" designs, and there are also stylish lower running lights that line up perfectly with the headlights as if each side has a single light tube tucked in behind the fascia. Likewise, the vertical taillights also add to the car's appearance and even have some slight fin action that pays homage to classic Cadillacs. Perhaps the coolest exterior features on the XTS, though, are the illuminated door handles. Most versions of the XTS get …Hide Full Review

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